


Robin and The Songbird

by BehindTheRobinsMask



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Brother-Sister Relationships, Brotherly Love, Confessions, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Family Bonding, Fluff, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Depression, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-10-27 02:22:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17757977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BehindTheRobinsMask/pseuds/BehindTheRobinsMask
Summary: Tim Drake disappeared a year ago, no trace of him left behind for his family to find. Then one day, the sky split open and delivered back the lost robin, broken and bruised. Now, even though Tim is back home, can he finally recover from everything he went through while he was missing?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I'm terrible at summaries. 
> 
> When it comes to timelines, this fic is set somewhere after Bruce (supposedly died) and Dick became Batman until Tim found Bruce. The story on a whole will focus more on Tim's recovery, his relationship with his family and all the things that happened while he was gone. But there will also be glimpses into what he went through when he was gone. So yeah. Don't hate me? uwu

“We’ll get out of here. I promise.”

Smoke filled his lungs as his bare feet hit the stone floor, the surface burning his skin as he ran forward. His body was screaming in pain, limbs weak because of malnutrition but Robin didn’t have a moment to stop and rest, not when the raging fire threatened to consume everything in its path. He inhaled once, trying to hold the little bit of oxygen in his lungs for as long as he could as he headed towards the stairs, Songbird following close behind. The ground floors had already turned into a sea of orange and red, being the place where the fire initially started. There was no door that wasn’t blocked by flames and there was no path through. All they could do was run and hope to figure a way out otherwise every life lost in the destruction would be for nothing.

“Robin! There!” Songbird screamed, her gentle voice breaking into his thoughts as she pointed to a lone window at the end of the hall.

For a second, Robin contemplated. If they jumped out the window, there would be nothing outside to break their fall except the blanket of snow that covered the ground. There was a chance that they would make it out with just a few injuries but there was also a chance that they wouldn’t make it through the fall at all. But if they decided to look for another way, they would perish. He could feel the heat settling on his skin, the temperature increasing as the fire caught up with them.

“Come!” Songbird urged, her fingers intertwining with his as she pulled him towards the window. Char marked her dirt covered skin, raven hair falling down her back, uncombed, the ends of her white dress singed black.

Once upon a time, Robin had promised her freedom. Together, they would escape their captor and go home, a place better than this. Today, their cage burned down, chains melting away into nothing and Robin feared that his Songbird wouldn’t be able to finally fly.

Leaning over the edge of the window, Robin looked down at the ground, trying to measure the distance between them and the ground. It was a bit high than what he would have preferred but either they jumped or they turned to ashes. There was no other way.

Turning to his Songbird, Robin gently held her face in his hands, leaning his forehead against hers. “We’re going to get out of here and live a better life,” he whispered, repeating the words he spoke to her every night after the day left them with nothing but new scars to call their own. “I’m going to take you home.”

Songbird squeezed his hands and smiled but there was something so painful about it that it made his heartache. There were tears in her brown eyes along with an emotion that he couldn’t place but one that he had seen before in the eyes of his brothers, his father and comrades that had fallen. But just as he understood what was going through Songbird’s mind, just as he reached out to hold her close, he felt himself falling, her hands pushing him through.

“Be happy my little Robin,” she whispered as their hands met for the last time, her fingers pushing something into the palm of his hands.

Robin opened his mouth to scream, hand outstretched towards his Songbird but shadows burst from beneath him, slithering over every inch of his skin and taking him somewhere far away from the one he was meant to protect.

The darkness took over and Robin caught one last glimpse of his Songbird, the smile on her face, the tears in her eyes and the fire that reached out for her.

****

Tim Drake woke up with a start, fingers curled into fists and heart hammering in his chest as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. In his mind, he was supposed to be lying on the cold hard ground, waiting for the overlord’s men to drag him away, just as they did every morning. But something was different. He could feel the softness of a mattress beneath him, white sheets covering his body and instead of the dungeon he had learned to call home, he was in a room fitted with medical equipment.

“Hey, hey, you’re okay,” A familiar voice broke through the frenzy in his mind, soft and gentle, as if he were an animal cornered.

When his mind finally focused, Tim found himself staring at a face that he never saw he would see again, the face of his oldest brother. “D-Dick?” he asked, cautiously, not ready to believe that the oldest Robin was in front of him.

“Yeah, it’s me, Timmy,” Dick whispered, inching closer to Tim, eyes watering as he spoke. “You’re home.”

“Home?” Tim asked, his mind trying to process this information.

So many nights Tim had dreamt of waking up at home, of seeing his family once again. He had dreamt of being safe and warm, surrounded by people who loved him and genuinely cared for him. He had dreamt of holding his brothers close, of hearing his father say that he had done well and of finally knowing that he was free of all the pain and torture that came with being a captive. He had dreamt and he had dreamt, only to wake up in his cell with no way to go home.

Now that he was really back, he couldn’t believe it. Instead of feeling joy, he waited for his eyes to open and bring him back to reality.

“Yes. Home. You’re back in Gotham and I’m never letting you out of my sight ever again,” Dick answered, settling down next to Tim.

Tentatively, Tim reached out his hand, his fingers now covered in bandages and traced Dick’s cheek, feeling the warmth of the older’s skin. “You’re really here?” he asked, his voice so soft because he was afraid his brother would disappear.

Dick smiled gently and intertwined his fingers with Tim’s. “I am.”

“I-I-” Tim started but every time he tried to say another word, he would choke, tears blurring his vision.

Curling into himself, Tim cried and cried, his body shaking as relief flooded in his veins. He was home. He was finally home, back where he always wanted to be. Yet, none of it felt real. Yet, everything felt like a nightmare created just to haunt him. Tim was so tired of being let down by his own mind. He was so tired of waking up, devoid of hope.

Strong arms wrapped around his small body and Tim was pulled into Dick’s chest. The older ran his fingers through Tim’s hair, gently massaging his scalp and humming a soothing tone. But not once did he urge Tim to stop crying. Instead, Dick let the younger cry his heart out, to let the pain he had bottled in his chest out.

“I’m home. I’m finally home,” Tim cried, burying his face in the crook of Dick’s neck, inhaling the older’s scent.

“Yeah, Timmy. You are,” Dick said, his own voice breaking as he spoke.

Tim clung to his brother, afraid that he might disappear once again. His words became incoherent, reducing him into nothing but a mess of tears but oh, it felt so good to not be afraid for once in his life. But his relief was short-lived, a memory of fire flashing through his mind and making him pull back.

“What is it?” Dick asked, concerned as he looked down at Tim.

“When you found me, was I alone?” he asked but deep down he knew the answer. He remembered what he saw.

“Yes,” his brother answered and Tim squeezed his eyes shut, fingers curling into the white sheets as his body trembled. “Tim?”

“I have to go,” the younger whispered, trying to push himself out of bed.

“Tim?!”

But Tim didn’t listen. He threw away his covers and stumbled onto his legs, only to fall because his body was too weak, almost every inch covered in bandages. Dick rushed to Tim’s side, holding him up and trying to push him back into bed but the younger would not listen. There was something he had to do.

“Tim, please! You’re hurt and you need rest!” Dick urged, his eyes moving from Tim to the entrance of the cave as if waiting for someone to rush in and help him.

“No! I have to go! I have to save her!” Tim argued, trying to pull away from his brother.

Tim struggled and screamed, demanding that Dick let him go so he could return to his Songbird, so he could keep his promise to her. But for some reason, his brother just wouldn’t understand. Soon, the sound of footsteps filled the room as the second Robin came into sight, turquoise eyes full of confusion as he moved towards Tim.

“What the hell is going on?” Jason asked and Dick just shook his head.

“I don’t know, Jay. I really don’t.”

Jason turned his attention to Tim who looked up at him with tears in his eyes. “Jay, please, you have to understand. I have to go save her.”

“Save who, Timbo?” Jason asked, carefully, placing a gentle hand on Tim’s shoulder.

“Songbird. I promised her. I promised I’d bring her home with me but then the fire broke out and she pushed me out. She saved me so I have to go back and help her,” Tim explained in a hurry, still struggling against Dick’s hold.

A pained expression crossed Jason’s face as he looked at Dick, both of them communicating silently.

“Oh god,” the words left Dick’s mouth as Jason looked back at Tim, squeezing his shoulder.

“Tim, if there was a fire, there’s nothing you can do now,” he said, calmly.

Tim’s brows furrowed as he stared at his brother in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been missing for a year. We looked everywhere, every fucking place but we couldn’t find you. You’d just vanished into thin air,” Jason started.

“I know, Jason!” Tim snapped but the older didn’t stop talking.

“And then, one day, a portal opens up in the garden, spits you out and closes.”

“What?” Tim asked, shaken.

“We didn’t know where the fuck you were but we’re sure it wasn’t on out Earth so whoever it is you’re trying to help, you can’t. They’re gone,” Jason said but Tim just shook his head.

“No. No! There has to be a way!” Tim demanded because he didn’t want to believe that he had failed his Songbird again.

“Supposing there was a way, Tim, you appeared back home three days ago. If there was a fire, I don’t think anyone made it out alive.”

With those words, reality finally hit Tim and he slumped in his brother’s arms, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks as he broke down once again. His body shook and he wailed, so loud that he was sure the whole of Gotham could hear his cries. He was home. He was finally home, back where he always wanted to be and even then, all he could feel was pain.

He had made a promise to his Songbird, repeating his words like a prayer every single night. Despite all his effort, when it all ended, Tim had failed and now his Songbird was gone.

And even though Tim was finally home, there was a hole in his heart that he didn’t know how to fill.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm glad to be back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song suggestion: Bleachless by Elizabeth Grace

Past

_“What happens if someone were to learn my real name?” he asked, glancing at the raven-haired girl that sat by the window, staring at the night sky with longing in her eyes._

_Songbird, who had been so lost in her thoughts that they almost reflected on her face, looked back at Tim. Slipping away from the window, she settled down next to him and rest her head on his shoulder. Ever since Tim had been pulled into this strange world, devoured by shadows when he was out patrolling, Songbird had been his only friend. They were, after all, cellmates and even though she didn’t need to, she was more than willing to help Tim adjust._

_He was wary of her first, years of vigilante kicking in. But as days went by, with no way out of this technologically backward world, Tim realized that the only one who could give him the information he needed was Songbird._

_“I don’t know if you’ll believe me,” Songbird whispered and Tim snorted._

_“Trust me, I’ve seen a lot of weird things. You can be honest with me.” And that wasn’t a lie._

_Songbird sighed and nodded, reluctant to share her piece. “When I first came here, I didn’t really understand the ways of this world either. It’s confusing because over here, everyone values their stories and legends so much. At first, I thought it was blind superstition but then I realized it wasn’t. My cellmate before you, she told me that people here believe that giving someone your true name means giving them power over you.”_

_“What kind of power?”_

_“The power to make you do whatever it is they wish,” Songbird answered, pulling her knees against her chest._

_“Is… is that true?” he asked, wanting more than anything for this piece of information to be a lie._

_Songbird whimpered, shifting closer to him, her cold feet brushing against his warm ones. “The Collector had my cellmate’s real name. He made her kill herself.” Her voice was so low that Tim barely heard what she said and from the way her body trembled as she spoke, he knew that she was there when it all went down. He threw an arm around Songbird’s shoulder protectively and the two sat in silence after that._

_There was a time Tim thought that the worst scum lived in the shadows of Gotham but no one could compare to the cruelty of the man that called himself ‘The Collector’. It was an appropriate name for the man that had captured every prisoner that lived within the tower’s confines, treating them like toys that existed for his amusement._

_At that moment, Tim decided that as long as he was here, he would always be Robin, not just for the world but for himself._

_*****_

Present

Tim stared out the window, his fingers pressed against the glass as he watched trees sway with the wind, autumn leaves falling to the ground. It had been so long since he had experienced this weather even if he was only gone for a year. In that world unknown, time was cruel. Days where he could close his eyes and rest peacefully lasted for mere seconds whereas the ones spent under The Collector’s torturous gaze seemed to drag on forever.

Now he was home, in the safety of his room and surrounded by people who wouldn’t let him go again. But even so, he couldn’t stop his eyes from wandering to the shadows that gathered in the corners of his room, wondering if they would rip him away from everything he wanted. The terrifying thing was that a part of him was ready to go back because that part of him no longer understood the world he came from.

He was used to sleeping on the cold stone ground of his cell, devoid of the warm blankets that Alfred had wrapped him in. In the morning, when Dick came to wake him up with a warm smile, he would find Tim sitting up in his bed, awakened by his mind that kept playing the warning bells, signaling the arrival of The Collector over and over again. Warm food barely settled in his stomach before he found himself bent over a toilet bowl, his body no longer used to proper meals after surviving on whatever he could scavenge for a year.

Everything had changed. He had changed. And the one person who he thought would help him through it all wasn’t here. Instead, she had died because of him.

“I promise. I promise. I promise,” Tim whispered, slowly torturing himself with words that only brought back the most painful memories. But if Songbird was dead, if he had failed her, did he really have the right to forget the past and learn to be happy?

A knock snapped Tim out his daze and he found Dick standing by the door, a mug in his hand. “Hey kiddo, how are you holding up?” the older asked as he walked in, smiling warmly.

Right now, Dick was dressed in casual clothes, unlike his Nightwing uniform like the last time Tim had seen him. With Bruce being gone for an off-world mission with Damian, the responsibility of patrolling Gotham fell on Dick’s shoulder which made the older busier than he usually was. Some nights, the Red Hood joined him but on most nights, they took turns to patrol and spend time with Tim. At first, Tim thought he was merely being a burden on the two vigilantes until he realized that he had been missed. Neither Jason nor Dick wanted to leave the younger alone for a second, afraid that he’d slip away again.

“Would you believe me if I said I was fine?” Tim asked and Dick shook his head, handing the mug he was holding to the younger.

“After all these years, I think I know better.”

And wasn’t that the truth? Always afraid of burdening the people around him with his problems, Tim had learned to bottle up how he felt until he could work through his emotions on his own. Albeit that didn’t work out in his favor most of the time but he still tried.

“Well.” Tim took in a deep breath, cradling the warm mug in his hands. “To answer your question, I don’t know.”

“That I can believe,” Dick said, putting his arm around Tim’s shoulder. “Anyway, if you’re feeling up to it, do you want to come down to the cave when you’re ready?”

“Why?”

“Bruce will be home in a few hours and I know he’ll want to see you,” Dick explained.

Tim’s lips turned into a frown and he stared down at his mug, fingers tightening around the handle. “You mean, he’s going to interrogate me,” he muttered and his brother sighed.

“You know how B is.” Dick rubbed his face with his free hand and then gave Tim a small smile. “But I’ll be there, so will Jason. If you’re not ready to talk about what happened then you don’t have to. B will understand and if he doesn’t, well screw him.”

“I’m literally living in his house, Dick. He’ll find a way to get me alone.” Tim pointed out.

“Then you don’t have to. If staying in the manor makes you feel uncomfortable, I’ll take you to the penthouse with me and you can stay there for as long as you want.” Dick squeezed his shoulder.

Dread settled in the pit of Tim’s stomach, coiling inside like a snake, baring its teeth and letting poison drip into his veins. He chewed on his lower lip, not wanting to bother Dick and Jason more than he already had. Before he had disappeared, the two had been talking about moving in together and now, he knew that in the last year they had shifted into the penthouse. Agreeing to live with them would just unnecessary pressure on them.

“Stop thinking whatever it is you’re thinking,” Dick said, bringing Tim back to reality. “Jay and I will be more than happy to have you there with us. We missed you, Timmy. More than you could ever imagine. Come home with us, if you want to. If you don’t, we’re still going to be here at the manor until you recover.”

“You guys are too good to me,” Tim whispered, his voice breaking as he buried his face in his brother’s chest.

Dick didn’t say anything to that. Instead, he took the mug from Tim’s hand, settled it on the bedside table and then just held the younger as he cried because of everything he lost over the year and everything he had missed.

 

Darkness swarmed into Tim’s room as the sun disappeared from sight, allowing safe passage to the night. He could have easily switched on the lights in his room but there was something comforting about laying in the dark. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend he was back in the cell. As much as he hated it there, it was in the late hours of the night when he and Songbird had the most beautiful conversations, ones that changed the way he saw the world.

Now, in the dark, he pretended to be back with her and for a while, that filled the hollowness in his heart.

But as the door to his room opened, light spilling in and chasing away the shadows, Tim opened his eyes and looked at Jason. “You ready?” the older asked and the younger nodded.

He wasn’t ready to talk about everything he had been through over the past year but he knew that he had to talk to Bruce. While the man was complicated, he had still been a mentor to Tim, giving him a family when he had no one.

Pushing himself out of bed, with Jason holding him up, Tim made his way to the cave. With each step he took, his legs seemed to get heavier and he didn’t realize he had started to shake until Jason was stopped walking and pulled Tim into a tight hug.

“You’re gonna be okay. No matter what happens down there, Dickie and I have your back. You’re not alone,” he whispered, rubbing Tim’s back and the younger nodded, clinging onto Jason.

“Thanks, Jay,” he said and Jason simply smiled.

With that, they began their descent into the cave. The first person to come into sight was Dick, leaning by the computer in his Nightwing uniform, Damian wrapped around his waist. There was no doubt that while he was gone, Damian had missed the oldest brother more than he would ever admit. After all, Dick was more of a father figure to Damian than Bruce ever was.

And there he was, Batman, sitting in front of the Batcomputer and filing in a mission report, barely paying attention to the conversation taking place between his two sons. He only stopped typing when Dick called out Tim’s name, rushing to the younger with Damian by his side.

“Drake, it is good to have you back,” Damian said, his fingers clenched as he refrained from saying anything more.

“It’s nice to see you too, Damian.” Tim smiled because it was the truth. Sometimes, he did miss the silly fights he used to have with the youngest.

Damian pressed his lips together and glanced at Dick who ruffled his hair. Then he looked back at Tim and did something none of them would have expected. He stepped forward and pulled Tim into a quick hug. “Do not disappear again. You almost drove Grayson and the others mad,” he muttered before letting go and hurrying off to the showers.

Tim watched as Damian ran away, still surprised by the younger’s action but then he shook his head and turned to Bruce who was still sitting by the computer, cowl pulled back. As their eyes met, Bruce got to his feet and Tim moved towards him with Jason’s help.

Gloved fingers touched Tim’s cheek as Bruce bent down to look at him, pain in his eyes. “I’m so sorry I didn’t find you sooner,” he whispered, leaving everyone speechless.

A man of action, Bruce was known for putting his emotions aside so he could focus on the issue at hand. The mission came before everything else and it was easier to assume that for Bruce, it would be more important to know who took Tim and how that person could be stopped before anything else. It was frustrating because all he ever wanted was a family but Bruce didn’t know how to give that to anyone. It wasn’t really the elder’s fault but it didn’t make the loneliness go away.  

“I would like to know what your past year has been like but that can wait until you’re ready to talk,” Bruce said and Dick let out a whistle, breaking the silence that had fallen over the three bat boys.

“See, here I was ready to kidnap Tim,” he said and Bruce rolled his eyes.

“You lot really do assume the worst of me.”

“With reason, B.” To which Bruce grunted, his glare disappearing as he turned his attention back to Tim.

“It’s good to have you back, Timothy. Welcome home,” his adoptive father said, smiling gently and Tim could feel his heart hammer in his chest.

“I’m glad to be back.” And this time, he truly meant those words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The one thing about writing fanfics is doing your best to stay true to the characters and I so hope I'm able to do that. I wondered long and hard about how Damian would react to Tim disappearing and then his return and came to the conclusion that he definitely would care. They may not get along but Damian isn't heartless enough to not care. A little on the cold side, maybe but never heartless. 
> 
> As for the story, next chapter will bring in some of our beloved teen titans and Tim will begin to learn about everything that has changed since he disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

_My dearest Robin,_

_It has been a week since you left, a week since everything burned down to ashes. The snow has begun to melt, giving passage to summer, a season that this land hasn't seen in over ten years. Maybe even nature was waiting to be freed from the tyrants reign. But now that freedom is mine, I do know what to do next. Do you remember the nights when neither of us could sleep so we'd imagine all the things we would do once we were free of the chains that held us down? You always spoke of going back home and seeing your brothers. Despite it being your dream, you would somehow find a way to weasel me in. I truly wish we could have our future together but alas, something's simply aren't meant to be. But with you gone, Robin, I do not know what will be of my life. I feel as though I've forgotten how to fly, my wings disintegrating over the span of the five years I lived as a prisoner. If you were here, I am certain that you would have already known what to do next. You were always the intelligent one after all. You were my wonder and I miss you every day. Maybe you would think of me as selfish but I wish we didn't have to part. But I know you are home. You are safe. After all, that was my last wish for you._

_Tonight I write to you because your memory pains my heart. Nostalgia seems to be my only friend on this night. Tomorrow, when the sun rises, maybe I'll know why I survived. Maybe I'll find a new place to start again. But you will be safe. You will be safe. With that knowledge in my heart, even if there is no tomorrow for me, I can rest in peace. Even though you will never read these letters, I hope you know that I do truly love you, my Robin. Goodbye for now. I will write to you again._

_Yours faithfully, Songbird._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a tumblr now uwu  
> Look up @behindtherobinsmask to find me. Yes, I know. I am the least creative when it comes to usernames.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When things escalate.

** Past **

_Tim couldn’t tell how long he’d been here. The passage of time didn’t seem to make sense in this world where night seemed to stretch over days, a broken moon barely reflecting any light in a starless sky. Jailers signaled the arrival of a new day as they delivered dry bread and water to the prisoners, enough to keep them alive but never enough to give them the strength needed to fight. Till now, Tim had done his best to avoid the food because he didn’t know whether it was drugged or not. His cellmate, on the other hand, the scrawny girl with the unkempt hair, encouraged him to eat._

_Since he had been dumped into this cell, she had tried to make conversation but Tim had kept his answers short. As much as he wanted to know more about where he was, it was hard for him to trust people. The girl, however, didn’t seem to mind his rudeness. She would smile warily and go back to her perch on the windowsill to stare at the sky that never seemed to change._

_One day, however, when it seemed that help wouldn’t arrive soon, Tim gave in to his hunger and forced himself to swallow pieces of the dry bread._

_“You shouldn’t eat too much too fast,” his cellmate warned, watching him from afar. “You haven’t eaten anything in days and you might fall sick. Pace yourself.”_

_Taking her advice into consideration, Tim did just that but as the blood sun gave way to the broken night, hunger struck him once again but there was nothing left to eat. That was until his cellmate unwrapped some bread she had kept away and held it out for him. “Go on,” she encouraged with a smile._

_“But that’s yours,” Tim whispered but she just forced the bread into his hand._

_“You need it more. Now eat.”_

_Gripping the bread in his hand, Tim made a note to pay her back for her kindness._

_“Your name, what is it?” he finally asked, ready to trust the only person he could speak to in this godforsaken place._

_“I am Songbird,” she answered._

_“Is that really your name?”_

_Songbird shook her head. “It was given to me by a friend. We do not speak our true names in this place.”_

_That was something else he needed to know more about but not now. It could wait._

_“Why Songbird?” he asked and a smile spread across her face as she shifted a little closer to Tim, eyes shimmering with excitement._

_“Would you like to know about the legend of the Songbird?”_

Present

“Bart, you can come in. I know you’re there.”

Bart peeked into Tim’s room, fingers drumming against the doorframe nervously, making him look like a child that had broken his mother’s favorite vase. Slowly, he slunk into the room and sat down next to Cassie.

Today, his team, his friends had come to visit him. From what Dick had told him, they had wanted to come earlier but Bruce had made it clear that no one was to bother Tim until he had recovered. Tim would have liked to have a say in the matter but obviously, Bruce being Bruce sent out orders before he could even get wind of the situation.

“So…uh… how are ya?” Bart asked nervously, rubbing the back of his neck and shooting Cassie a look.

Tim rolled his eyes. His friends should have known by now that they weren’t really the best at being secretive. It didn’t take a detective to figure what was happening between the two of them and well, Tim was a detective, a really good one. “How long have you two been together?” he asked, smiling at the couple.

“Tim…I…” Cassie started, guilt in her eyes but Tim cut her off with a shake of his head.

Before Tim disappeared, consumed by a world that held nothing but horrors, he and Cassie had kind of started dating. Considering her rocky relationship with Kon and the way they kept breaking up and getting back together, the two of them had been taking slow, so slow that hadn’t even really been on a date. Tim didn’t expect her to wait around for him. “I’m happy for both of you. I really am,” he assured and then turned to Bart. “You hurt her and I’m sure I can find many creative ways to get back at you.”

“Sir, yes sir!” Bart saluted and Tim couldn’t help but laugh.

As time passed by and he was reacquainted with his life before his disappearance, he remembered how much he missed being back in Gotham. As harsh as the city was, it was home and no matter where he went, he’d always want to come back.

“We missed you, Tim. We really did,” Cassie whispered, taking his hand in hers.

“I missed you guys too. I’m glad you had each other though,” he said squeezing Cassie’s hand.

“What about you? Did you have someone there to help you?” she asked.

Tim leaned back in bed, remembering the days he spent with Songbird and smiled, even though it hurt. “Yeah… yeah I did,” he whispered and Cassie didn’t push it. Maybe it was the look on his face or the pain in his voice that indicated how things ended. Or maybe his brothers had warned them about subjects they shouldn’t broach.

“Conner said he’d come to see you soon. He wanted to come today itself but something happened in Metropolis,” Cassie explained, changing the subject and Tim was grateful for that.

“That’s just how our lives are right?” he joked.

“Does that mean Red Robin will come back?” Bart asked.

Tim had thought about it, many times over the past year. He thought about quitting and living a normal life away from vigilantes and villains, one where he could sleep through the night and just be a functional human being. The idea had seemed appealing but that wasn’t him. It never could be. “Yeah,” he answered because Red Robin was an important part of him and not one he could leave behind.

 

“Jason, please, don’t do this,” Dick whispered, clutching Jason’s arms, eyes pleading.

Jason looked back at his boyfriend of three years with sadness, gently stroking his face and giving him a slow kiss. “I’m so sorry, Dickie.” He placed down a card and then said “Uno.” Dick let out a cry before falling on his side, dramatically.

“I do not see why you need to be so dramatic over a stupid card game,” Damian muttered as Dick collected his four cards but then his eyes went comically wide as Tim placed a draw 4. “Damn it, Drake! I’ll kill you!”

“Now who's getting dramatic over a ‘stupid card game’,” Jason imitated Damian’s voice and ducked when the younger threw a pillow at him.

Muttering curses under his breath, Damian collected his four cards and started rearranging them while glaring at Tim.

“Jason and Tim are mean,” Dick whined, lips turned into a pout as he placed his card on the pile.

“But you like it when I’m mean.” Jason grinned, making Dick’s cheeks turn pink while Tim gagged.

“Guys please, we get that you love each other but there are minors here.” He pointed to Damian.

“I am not a child!” Damian growled, swatting Tim’s finger.

“You’re like 10.”

“I will have you know that I am 13!”

“How is that any better?”

“If you were not already injured, I would rip your spine out through your mouth.”

Tim just rolled his eyes and focused on the game.

“Wow, I wonder how mad the bat brat would have gotten if we were playing Monopoly.” Jason whistled as he put down his last card and then grinned. “Guess I win, eh, Dickie?” He wiggled his eyebrows. It was safe to say the two of them had some bet going on.

“I want a divorce,” Dick groaned, slamming down his cards.

“We’re not married,” Jason pointed out. “We could be though… if you wanted.”

Dick, Damian, and Tim stared at Jason, wide-eyed, all three providing their own reacting to the situation.

Dick. “… What?”

Tim. “Oh my god.”

Damian. “You’re a fool if you think Grayson will say yes to such a shabby proposal.”

Jason glared at Damian, opening his mouth to say something and Tim was ready to intervene since Dick seemed too shocked to do anything but then, his eyes fell on the glass doors leading to the balcony. A figure dressed in black and blue floated there, a shy smile and hand held up as a greeting.

“Kon!” Tim smiled, scrambling out of his bed and rushing to the balcony, one hand gripping the shawl that was draped on his shoulders.

He could feel his brothers watching him with worry but he didn’t care. Not when his best friend, the one he hadn’t seen in so long was here. Throwing the doors open Tim rushed outside, his bare feet touching the cold ground and making him shiver.

“You’re really here.” Kon smiled as his hand gently touched Tim’s face.

Tim smiled up at him, fingers clutching Kon’s black shirt. “Yeah. I’m home. I’m back,” he whispered and was immediately pulled into a crushing hug but Tim didn’t complain. He just closed his eyes and soaked in Kon’s warmth, not realizing how much he had missed this until now.

Then, Kon was pulling away, staring down at Tim with an emotion in his eyes that he didn’t understand. Fingers tangled in Tim’s hair and before he knew it, soft lips were pressed against his, making his body stiffen.

Kon was kissing him.

His best friend of many years was kissing him.

The man he thought was straight was now kissing him, a boy.

Just like everyone under Batman’s wing, Tim was trained to be a detective since a young age. He was smart and everyone around him agreed. Whether it was solving an impossible puzzle or predicting someone’s behavior based on the slightest change in their actions, Tim could do it all. Never in a million years would he have known that something like this would happen. But as Kon’s lips moved against his, he didn’t have the strength to question it, at all.

“Well that escalated,” Jason whistled in the background.

**Author's Note:**

> Writing this chapter was,... hard. From here onwards, there will be difficult moments but Tim will have his family and his friends to help him get through things~
> 
> Let me know what you guys think?


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